The Music Therapy Show

Music Together is an organization that sponsors Sing With Your Child Month in March. Carol Ann Blank is a board certified music therapist who is the Program Developer for Music Together. She's my guest this week and will share tips on how to Sing With Your Child and how to celebrate Music Therapy Month.

Aric Allen from e-Motion Technologies is my guest this week. I met him in the exibit hall of the American Music Therapy Association conference last November. He creates technological assists for music therapists, offering custom-designed iPad aps or other computer programs based on your needs. He can be found at e-Motiontechnologies.com.

This week my guest is Judith Pinkerton of Music4Life.com. She has a radio show about music therapy as well called Music 4 Life. Find it on iTunes!

This week my guest is Natasha Thomas. Natasha Thomas is a graduate of the University of North Dakota (Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy, 2008) and Board Certified Music Therapist, serving individuals statewide through North Dakota Vision Services/School for the Blind (NDVS/SB) and ND School for the Deaf, in addition to private clients she sees in the home and in settings like LISTEN Day Services and the LISTEN Drop-In Center.  As part of her work with NDVS/SB, Natasha is a regular transcriber of the Braille Music code, and also signs in ASL for her work with the ND School for the Deaf.  Natasha is currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Special Education (UND, 2012) to supplement her work with these populations.  She is a member of the American Music Therapy Association and regularly attends their annual conferences.  Natasha enjoys connecting with other Music Therapists (her twitter handle is @MusicMovesND) educating her community on Music Therapy through her newspaper affiliated blog, http://musicmoves.areavoices.com, supervising UND practica students, and teaching/performing Middle Eastern Dance in her spare time (when she has it!)   You can contact Natasha by email at natasha.mtbc@gmail.com

Listen to this week's show to learn business tips from Tim Ringgold of sonicdivinity.com

Today my guest is Kathy Lovell, who will talk about the Pacifer Activated Lullaby technology. The PAL technology is based on research conducted at the Florida State University by Dr. Jayne Standley.  An FSU faculty member since 1976, Dr. Standley is recognized throughout the United States as the foremost authority on medical music therapy. Researching the effect of music on premature babies, she found they increased their sucking rates 2.5 times when exposed to music, thus helping to increase their weight. Aimed specifically at addressing a long-standing problem among premature infants – delayed proficiencies in learning to suck – Dr. Standley’ s musical pacifier has demonstrated what have been called “amazing” results in repeated tests done at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. 

Since 2005, the American Music Therapy Association and the Certification Board for Music Therapists have collaborated on a State Recognition Operational Plan. The primary purpose of this Plan is to get music therapy and our MT-BC credential recognized by individual states so that citizens can more easily access our services. The AMTA Government Relations staff and CBMT Regulatory Affairs staff provide guidance and technical support to state task forces throughout the country as they work towards state recognition. To date, their work has resulted in 35 active state task forces, 2 licensure bills passed in 2011, and an estimated 10 bills being filed in 2012 that seek to create either a music therapy registry or license for music therapy. This month, our focus is on YOU and on getting you excited about advocacy. So my guests this week will be Judy Simpson, Dena Register, and Kimberly Sena Moore from the State Recognition Operational Plan to talk about Music Therapy Advocacy and how you can get involved!

This week I'm broadcasting live from the exhibit hall of the American Music Therapy Association Conference in Atlanta, GA. I'll attempt to stop conference attendees in the exhibit hall to ask them about their conference experience and let you know what's going on nationally in the field of music therapy. The scheduled show is subject to change, so check www.themusictherapyshow.blogspot.com or Twitter for the latest information about the show. This is also the last show of 2011. I have lots of guests booked in January, so I'll speak to you again in 2012! Happy New Year!

The holidays are coming which means we have lots to do! But in the midst of all that we need to take care of ourselves so that we can enjoy the holidays and have the energy and capacity to take care of others. This week, music therapist Christine Weinberg will tell us how to include self care in our list of things to do!

Today my guest is Meryl Brown! Meryl Brown is a Board Certified Music Therapist, Developmental Specialist, owner and Blogger with Developing Melodies.  She received her Masters Degree in Music Therapy from Illinois State University and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the Crane School of Music at The State University of New York College at Potsdam.  Meryl has been providing music therapy for individuals since 2006 and has worked with a variety of populations.  In 2008, Meryl received her credential as a Developmental Specialist which now allows her to receive reimbursement through the State of Illinois for services provided.               Website: http://www.developingmelodies.com Meryl@DevelopingMelodies.com Twitter: @DevelopMelodies Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/developingmelodies

Amy Kalas is a board certifed music therapist working in Miami and will be my guest this week. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees in music therapy from the University of Miami. She completed her internship at the Matheny Medical and Educational Center in Peapack, NJ, where she worked with children, adolescents, and adults with developmental disabilities. In 2006, Amy was hired as a full-time music therapist at United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Miami, where she currently works with children birth – age 7 with special needs. Amy is the clinical training director for the internship program at UCP and has supervised interns since 2007. Amy also serves as a Lecturer for the University of Miami by supervising practicum students and giving presentations on her clinical work. In addition to her work at UCP, Amy runs a private practice, Wholesome Harmonies Music Therapy, providing music therapy services in the Miami area. Her website and blog can be found at www.WHmusictherapy.com.

Natalie Mullis is my guest this week. I've been wanting to talk to her for a long time too! She owns Key Changes Music Therapy in my birth-town, Columbia, South Carolina. She offers some great freebies and articles on her website: keychangesmusictherapy.com

This week I don't have a guest and I don't have a specific topic, but I do have a few things to share with you about the show and other music therapy things. If you have a question about music therapy, this would be a good show to call in to! 646-652-2850 during the live show (you can also call in to listen, without speaking to me on air).

I am very excited about this week's guests: Megan Resig and Kimberly Thompson of Mundana Music Therapy. Kim and Megan share original songs, resources, and techniques related to music therapy, music education, wellness, and business. I have been wanting to "meet" these ladies for quite some time so I'm glad to have them on the show!

It takes more than physical exercise to maintain good health. Balance is the key to leading a healthy lifestyle. Wellness is the dynamic process of becoming aware of, taking responsibility for, and making choices that directly contribute to one's well being and that of the common good. It is the integration of body, mind and spirit and the ongoing development of one's own meaning in life. In this week's show, I'll tell you about the dimensions of wellness and how I use them in music therapy.